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Got books? Call the historical society if you need any: 507-662-5505... ...click here for the books-page...

Welcome...to the
Jackson County MN genealogy website!
Jackson County is located in southwest Minnesota and borders Iowa.


JACKSON COUNTY

Downtown Lakefield

Randy Wendel photo

Welcome to the Jackson Co MN genealogy website! ------PLEASE READ!
My name is Randy Wendel (meet Randy), Rootsweb MNGenWeb volunteer County Coordinator and webmaster for Jackson County, MN since May 2007, and lifetime member of the Jackson Co Hist. Society. The Jackson County Historical Society does not have a website but you may contact them directly for any questions and research. I try my best to keep this website regularly updated with Jackson Co genealogy information which is sent to me by people like you to share with others. It is my primary goal to concentrate on the PEOPLE and genealogical roots of Jackson County, although there may be some expansion to other direct historical information (i.e. events and buildings) in Jackson county since it may have been an important or direct factor in the life of someone (genealogical standpoint). I'm always interested in contributions to post on this website so please pass along any photos, person or family history/genealogy related items! Also be aware I live 150-miles from Jackson County (Bloomington MN) and the distance keeps me from regular on-site research activities, cemetery visits for this website or volunteer work at the historical society/museum for that matter. Therefore, the least I can do in any volunteer-capacity on a regular basis is maintain this web site.
Click here to email me with questions, submissions, etc.

MAY 2023 ACTIVITIES...


May 2023:
I'm so disappointed. I rarely get the opportunity to visit Lakefield and Jackson and was looking forward making a visit to Summerfest in Lakefield in June. In perfect timing as it always seems, I am on call that weekend (one week including the weekend). Switching on-call is always a challenge so I won't even try. I will just have to plan another date to visit but without the local activities. Perhaps the county fair would be a good change..if I'm not on call.



2020 THE JACKSON COUNTY GENEALOGY SITE HAS MOVED!!!
In early 2018 these web pages moved to a new server. The previous host (Rootsweb / Ancestry) was disabled due to "maintenance" for several months, and the opportunity presented itself to relocate these pages to a new host. It likely will take some time for any previous visitors to find this site...there was simply no way to post the move on the previous host/site, but if you have found the Jackson County pages and wonder what happened...now you know.

I have some updating and purging to do with all of the web pages. There are likely some links to change, but with several pages involved, and doing this work in my spare time, it will take awhile. If you have NOT visited these Jackson County pages in quite some time, do not worry...you haven't missed much. Any changes I make (upload photos, bios, etc) are always listed at the bottom of the main page (here) so you can always see what has changed since your last visit. Not much has changed in many months, and I will, for the time being, concentrate on updating bad URL's and such throughout 2018 as time permits, and add more content as I receive them. I depend on contributions for items to post on these pages, so please feel free to forward anything to me. I may not always respond right away, or get them uploaded right away, but I will get to them. Thanks for your patience! -Randy

Jackson...origin of the name
Jackson County (24 counties in the United States are named Jackson County), established on May 23, 1857, was named after Henry Jackson, the first merchant in St. Paul and a member of the first territorial legislature. You will find Jackson County in the Southwest corner of Minnesota (43.6750 N, 95.1567 W). The county seat is Jackson. The historical society is located in Lakefield.

Henry Jackson was born in Abingdon, VA, in 1811. He acquired only a limited education as a youth, but ultimately became a good penman and accountant through diligent self-study. Of a somewhat roving nature, he went off to serve as an orderly sergeant in the Texas "Patriot War" of 1836-7, then returned to Buffalo, NY, where he married Angelina Bivins (1814 NY) in 1838. Soon after, they emigrated to Green Bay, WI, then to Galena, IL. When his business failed in 1842, the family moved to St. Paul, where they rented a cabin from Pierre Parrant where the family lived temporarily. Jackson purchased 3 acres of land from Benjamin Gervais which was located in the area later bounded by Jackson, Robert, Bench, and 3rd Streets, which was then a high bank overlooking the lower levee. On this property, he built a log or pole cabin, and opened a small stock of goods suitable for the Indian trade. He soon did a prosperous business, and shortly thereafter became a community leader.

During his residence in St. Paul, he held several important offices. In 1843, he was appointed the first Justice of the Peace in St. Paul. In 1846, he was appointed as the first Postmaster, and in 1847, he was elected to the Wisconsin Assembly. He was later a member of the first Territorial Legislature of Minnesota, and was a member of the first St. Paul Town Council. In 1853, he and his family moved to Mankato, MN, where he played a role in founding the city. He died in 1857. Jackson Street in St. Paul, Mankato, and Jackson County, MN, were named for him. His real estate holdings were valued at $8,000 in 1850. He and Angeline had at least one child: William C. (1847 MN).

CALENDAR OF EVENTS


DATES:

Jackson Co Fair 2023 July 25-29 Official web page, click here.

Lakefield Summerfest 2023 June 12-18 Official web page, click here.

- - - Jackson County is bordered by the following counties in this geographical arrangement - - -

Murray Watonwan
Nobles
Jackson
County
Martin
Osceola
Iowa
Dickinson
Iowa
Emmet
Iowa

Thank you for visiting this website!!!


Visitors since Oct 23, 2007

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This page last updated: (see below)
Newest changes nearest from the top, down:
May 2023: new Watonwon Co link on main page. Update calendar/events.
Nov 2021: updated broken links on resource page
Apr 2021: updated historical society page details 2021
Dec 2020: added KILEN query to queries page
Aug 2020: added CUNNINGHAM query to queries page
Feb 2020: updated facebook page link for Jackson Co Historical Society
Jan 2020: Updated email address for Jackson Co Historical Society




END PAST YEAR HISTORY WEBSITE UPDATES

©2023 Randy Wendel